Boys and food

[Bluegill]

My DS isn't quite a teenager and has never had a big appetite but over the past couple of months he is eating non stop. I'm talking a humongous amount . I make him an adult portion meal then half an hour later he wants another, then he snacks relentlessly throughout the day. He's stick thin and very active so I'm not worried in this respect at all but is it normal for children to eat this much?

Oh yes it's quite common at this age. I can give DS 14 a huge cooked dinner and half an hour later he is wandering round the kitchen claiming he is hungry and looking for more food.

He eats just about every hour. Lots of carbohydrates.

Normal.
Check his shoes, his feet will start to grow and he will go up sizes overnight .
It lasts about 5/6 years IME then they settle down to normal adult appetite.
The challenge is to provide healthy meals and filling snacks.

I'm struggling with the healthy snacks all of the time but thankfully on the while his appetite is quite good.

I think if they have healthy main meals then I wouldn't worry too much about the snacks. It's not as though they are going to spoil their appetite. An apple no longer cuts it as they head through the growth spurt.
DS1 is 19 now and no longer eats for England, a pity because he is under weight.
DS2 is 16 and always hungry. He eats a lot of plain tortillas, toast, milk shakes, flap jacks.

Yes normal
and very expensive!

My ds got very rounded-looking at 10-11, and his hands and feet grew massively. Once he hit secondary school he shot up and stretched unbelievably.

He's yet to shoot up. All of his friends seem to be going through puberty but he's not quite there yet. I'm guessing he's at the beginning of a growth spurt. It makes me feel a bit tearful. My baby is growing up. He even went to bed last night and didn't give me a kiss and a cuddle. He always gives me a kiss and a cuddle

Cuddles come back when they get past the awkward-in-their-own-bodies stage I promise.
DS2 is 6'3" at least he was yesterday and can easily rest his chin on my head when he gives me a hug. He agrees that down hugs are better than upwards ones

We have the fruit test, if the won't eat fruit first they are not hungry.

The reduced bread buckets at the supermarket are your friend, buy it and freeze it.

Thanks Pea and Pear . He's not far off my height already but I'm tiny. His dad is a six footer so he might end up tall. Good idea about bread buckets. He's never been a big carb fan which I think is exactly what he needs. I'll stock up.